How To Have A Well Disciplined Dog

Dogs are very intelligent creatures but we owners should not assume that they have humans ability to comprehend and to separate what is right from what is wrong. A dog that is allowed to jump on a master wearing old shirt and jeans will not understand why its usual way of greeting is not be appreciated by the female master wearing stockings and a deceptively simple but very expensive designer dress.

So how will you discipline a dog that has the tendency to bark excessively, or one that torments other pets, or one that has a destructive chewing habit or one that has the inclination to raid trash cans? Dogs are highly attuned to what humans feel thus these animals can easily interpret and understand the facial expression and body movement of human. The dog may not understand that the destroyed bag has made the master angry but seeing the anger on the master’s face the dog would either slink under the table or have an imploring look on its face. The dog may look repentant but the pet owner should not be complacent as the dog’s bad habits will surface again and again. Unless you do something to discipline the dog, the undesirable act will be repeated again. Screaming at the dog or inflicting physical punishment would never be a good idea more so if the punishment was given after the destructive deed was done. Dogs are intelligent animals but the it would be beyond their ability to associate the punishment to the slip-up they have done.

It is necessary to make the dog understand that human are the leaders of the pack. The dog has to learn that it is lower in rank and therefore must follow the rules set by the leader. Training would be an effective method of disciplining the pet. Any kind of dog training is best started when the dog is still young. In a firm and clear voice, teach the dog to obey commands that will modify a wrong behavior.

Diversionary techniques that will result to the dog’s aversion to the destructive behavior are effective methods of disciplining the dog . Bitter apple discourages the dog from chewing things and a spray of cold water stops the dog’s excessive barking.

To make the dog associate the disciplinary action with the bad behavior, reprimands must be made while the dog is doing the act. “No, Leave it, Stop are only some of the excellent commands that will stop the dog in mid act. It would take some time for the dog to understand the meaning of these commands but consistent training, lots of praise and treats are invaluable tools that will correct the dog’s unwanted behavior.

Learn more about how to discipline a dog at Sarah’s Dogs.